Sculptures and installations

As a sculptor, Marie De Decker also pushes the boundaries of goldsmithing.

The accumulation of forms plays with illusion: seemingly solid, the sculpture is permeated by voids, echoing Renaissance explorations of perspective.

The sculpture continues into its shadow, an integral part of the work—an effect shaped by the influence of historical Flemish painting, in which light is intrinsic to form. Trained in photography, the artist pays particular attention to chiaroscuro, contrast and the emergence of the image.

Marie De Decker works with 27 shades of gold, deliberately left unvarnished so that nothing obstructs its brilliance or diminishes the force of the messages carried by its changing light—an “Impressionist” pursuit. Through her innovative use of the material, the artist has succeeded in stabilising the metal without applying varnish or resin: its apparent fragility contrasts with its enduring stability.

Some sculptures incorporate reclaimed materials—fishing nets, mother-of-pearl and plant fibres—that have remained in contact with the ocean’s flora and fauna. Their life cycles bear witness to a shared memory of the ecosystem. The works range in scale from framed bas-reliefs (30 × 30 cm) to monumental installations (up to 400 × 100 cm).

Inspired by mangroves, the motifs found throughout the works—feathers and scales—translate nature’s principles of construction and draw the eye into a movement between the infinite and the ephemeral.